Here’s another potential section championship preview, this one a private-public rivalry out of Class 2A, Section 3.
St. Thomas Academy (5-4-2, 0-0-1) has alternated signature victories over the likes of No. 9-2A Cretin-Derham Hall (4-3 on Nov. 29), Minnetonka (3-2 on Dec. 7) and Benilde-St. Margaret’s (3-2 on Dec. 11) with losses to the unranked masses, Eastview (3-1 on Nov. 23) and Holy Family Catholic (4-1 on Dec. 14) among them.
Senior goaltender Tommy Aitken, in his first season on the No. 10-2A Cadets' varsity, has been a revelation. He has a 1.92 goals against average and .939 save percentage.
Rosemount (10-2-0, 4-1-0) has been a fixture in the state’s top-five rankings all season, and a solid showing at a holiday tournament in St. Louis Park — including a thrilling 5-4 loss to Andover on Dec. 26 — shouldn’t hurt the No. 4-2A Irish’s status. Junior Luke Levandowski’s 19 goals is almost twice as many as the team’s No. 2 scorer, senior Connor Kenefick who has 10 goals.